While Spider-Man and Venom began their relationship as adversaries, the symbiote is fortunate that he never had to fight Spidey while the wallcrawler was fighting crime as the Hornet. This version of Spider-Man would make quick work of Venom because the Hornet suit is equipped with anti-symbiote capabilities.
The Hornet is an alias that Peter Parker took up after being accused of murder during the 1998 storyline Identity Crisis. It was one of four different superhero identities that Peter became so that he could still fight crime and save lives while the name of Spider-Man was being slandered. The Hornet suit relied on tech rather than powers, with wings that allowed Peter to fly at high speeds and electricity blasters that work similar to Miles Morales’ venom sting power. The use of the suit was short lived however, because once Spider-Man’s name was cleared, Peter abandoned these other identities and continued to work as webslinger again.
Despite Peter no longer needing to use it, the Hornet suit comes back as a strong symbiote slaying asset during the 2021 King in Black event. Hobie Brown, formerly known as the villainous Prowler, takes up the mantle of the Hornet as a way to repent for his crimes. He tinkers with the suit’s wings so that they send out a sound frequency that melts symbiotes off of their hosts. This makes the Hornet suit a decent alternative to the ultimate anti-symbiote weapon, as it’s a well-known fact the alien space goo can’t stand high pitched noises. By donning the suit, Hobie saved countless lives during Knull’s invasion.
One of the neat things about the Hornet suit was its focus on technology rather than superhuman abilities. When Peter had to lay low, he couldn’t don the suit while still shooting webs. This forced him to get creative with the suit’s powers and shows just how smart Peter Parker is. Granted, his super strength helps him move in the suit with the added weight, but aside from that nitpicky detail, the Hornet suit is an example of what happens when Peter focuses on creating gadgets. If Peter had kept this suit a little longer, who knows what kind of Iron Man-esque suit it would have become.
The Hornet might have been a short-lived identity used so Peter could continue to be a hero, but the suit and its high-pitched frequencies were certainly helpful during the symbiote invasion. If Spider-Man had this suit when Venom first came into the picture, there might not have ever been any symbiotes to cause trouble. If Venom ever decides to quit his hero shtick and go back to being a villain, the Hornet will certainly be his worst nightmare.
